What Are We Leaving Behind?

Surely endless wars have swept away the youngest and uprooted our families, sectarian and religious fanaticisms have divided us, warlords have come to control our future, and gangsters have shared and devoured the wealth of our country

Surely we have wasted our heritage, forgotten our traditions, deserted the mountains that our ancestors defended with their blood, and abandoned our lands

Surely corruption of every kind has impoverished workers and ruined homes, topped by a pandemic which affects the oldest and the weakest

Mindlessly we walked on flowers, killed birds, and tortured animals

We are no longer interested in the arts, we disrespect the environment and we ignore global warming

Our hearts seem to have lost their wings, we lack spirituality, and we disguise everything

All this lack of kindness and love
All this selfishness
All this individualism
All this hypocrisy

And these exhausted cities, devoid of culture and taste
And our love, not given or reciprocated
And the time that passes by so quickly

There are also our defeats, our lost dreams, and eventually our death which few will remember

Of course, we are honest, and giving away money that we earned by the sweat of our hands is not easy. But to see people begging for food, for money, crying because there isn't enough food to support everyone

Having to decide who needs it most among our neighbors because of our inability to help them all. Having to look at them straight in the eyes to see their tears and tell them, “Sorry, we are done for today!”

It is time that we put all our differences aside, that we unite our efforts, that we refuse to see a man crying for bread, a woman about to abandon hope, that we give without expecting anything in return, that we give just for the love of all humanity

For all those who have the will to help, let us join forces to avoid seeing hungry people, to avoid having to choose who does and does not receive food aid. No one should be short of food, whatever the economic situation that awaits us

This text was originally written in French by Dr. Toufic Kikano, MD and translated by Hoda Maalouf

Friends on a Mission

Friends on a Mission:  Friends, motivated by love and compassion, joined hands to go on humanitarian Missions... 
Members are (picture from left to right, top to bottom): Toufic Kikano, Nabil Maatouk, Dolla Akl, Arlette Otayek, Carole Otayek, Ritta Hanna, Rogette Sainte Marie, Alain Sainte Marie, Hoda Maalouf